Editor's Note

The Charge

"I was going to bring along the wife and kiddies, but the grocer
couldn't spare another barrel."—Groucho Marx

Opening Statement

Monkey Business is a little different from the two other Marx Brothers
movies that I've screened recently for DVD Verdict. How so? Zeppo gets a little
bit to do. Zeppo Marx was a perfectly normal, charming guy with leading man
looks and personality, which was a major liability for a Marx Brother. He made
appearances in Duck Soup and Animal Crackers, but there wasn't much to
say about him in either film. In Monkey Business, Zeppo plays the
romantic lead, courting the daughter of a racketeer.

Zeppo only appeared in five Marx movies; IMDb says he went on to develop a
pulse rate-checking watch and a company of his made a piece of the A-bomb.

Viewers will also get a look at Thelma Todd, who plays a mobster's moll who
fancies Groucho. About four years after appearing here, she died
mysteriously—and young.

Facts of the Case

Four cruise ship stowaways sing "Sweet Adeline" while hiding in
herring barrels, attracting the attention of the captain and crew. Hiding out,
they end up encountering rival gangsters—with Groucho and Zeppo ordered to
try a hit, but discovering that Harpo and Chico are their target's bodyguards.
Back stateside, Zeppo is invited to a party for a gangster's beautiful daughter,
and some uninvited would-be kidnappers threaten to spoil the fun.

The Evidence

Everyone knows the Marx Brothers are pretty much the Marx Brothers, so the
characters don't get names; Groucho identifies himself as "the fellow who
talks so much" when asked his name. They reveal their characters as they
flee the captain and crew on the cruise ship: Groucho and Chico lock the captain
in his closet to steal his lunch, and then grab food while running around his
table after being caught; Harpo poses as a puppet in a Punch and Judy show; and
Zeppo blends into the crowd by introducing himself to Mary, a mobster's sweet
daughter.

Zeppo Marx actually makes a decent, but bland, romantic lead, even getting
to stage a real fistfight in the final reel to save his
girlfriend—although brother Groucho steals the show even then with a mock
radio commentary. He also gets to croon like Maurice Chevalier while posing as
the singer to get off the cruise ship, showing off his voice talent.

What's actually surprising is sarcastic Groucho's romantic subplot. He finds
rapport with gangster moll Lucille instantly—so much so that they do a
romantic dance around a small ship stateroom—but turns out to be more of a
sounding board and friend than an adulterer. Even though he's the most famous
Marx, Groucho might be the one who was underestimated as an actor for his role
in the team.

The picture has occasional signs of age, with the flecks and lines you'd
expect from a 1931 black-and-white movie. There isn't even a trailer with this
one, so it's probably lost.

The Rebuttal Witnesses

The screen time given to Zeppo seems to have been taken away from Chico and
Harpo, so some fans might be disappointed. They get to cut up (bloodlessly,
thankfully) in a barber shop, and Harpo gets to chase women—and his lost
pet frog.

Closing Statement

Monkey Business made AFI's "100 Years…100 Laughs"
list. Ironically, it's about as restrained as the Marx Brothers get, giving
screen time to Zeppo, the romantic lead of the team and softening Groucho's
character just a bit. However, a relatively calm trip with the Marx Brothers
shows just how twisted their humor is. What other comedy team could create a
world that leaves you feeling sorry for Zeppo Marx for being…normal? Thus,
in a way, fans could find this relatively unmemorable Marx Brothers film the
most memorable of the recent slate of releases. If you're looking for a complete
cinematic sample of the Marxes, pick up this one and Duck Soup.